Lessons
by Mignonne-and-Sellene
Summary: AU. Story revolves around literally voiceless Ginny, her arranged marriage to Marcus Flint, and an indecent proposition from Draco Malfoy. Based on Jane Campion's The Piano. DG
1. In Which There Is A Stormy Wedding

Disclaimer: We didn't come up with anything that J.K. Rowling did in her Harry Potter series. We also didn't come up with anything that Jane Campion did in her "The Piano" script. Wow, we're such ripper-offers. But we make no money out of it, and only did it to bring joy to readers. Well, that and reviews. 

Lessons

Chapter One - In Which There Is a Stormy Wedding

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The voice I use is not my speaking voice, but my heart's voice. I have not spoken since my sixth year. Few know why, and he who cursed me with it has died. If I could turn back, I don't know if I would; silence is an uncanny addiction. The war will be over soon, but by then, it will be too late to reclaim my freedom. I won't be eighteen for another month, and tonight, I will enter a marriage with the enemy. Soon my daughter and I shall join him at our new home. My muteness does not bother my fiancée: he didn't want me for my words. 

He will need patience for I believe silence affects everything in the end. The strange thing is I don't think myself silent, because of my piano. I pour all of me into the music, and it resonates my thoughts, my memories, my soul. If you could understand the notes, then you would know my everything. 

***********

She was wearing a plain black dress when she stepped off the ship. The tight-corset held her back straight as she stepped down the plank and onto shore. A young girl, donning a pale yellow skirt and white sweater, clutched her hand tightly. The beach was windy, welcoming mother and daughter with thick clouds that blanketed the New Zealand sky. 

Sailors busily unloaded the ship, piling wooden trunks upon the cool, damp sand. She watched them carefully, waiting for the one item that mattered most. 

"Mama," the small girl tugged at her hand. "Mama, he's here."

She looked up to where her daughter pointed. Her future husband was slowly making his way down the beach, the wind whipping his dark dress robes. He looked thinner, older than he did all those years ago. His face was relaxed unlike the cruel, determined mask he wore during quidditch games at Hogwarts. She watched as he neared. With each step, her heart clenched tighter, reminding her of her sealed fate. She would soon be Mrs. Marcus Flint. 

"Good afternoon, Virginia." His voice was deep and dark, like the imminent storm that brewed in the sky. She heard him clearly despite the thunderous waves crashing on the sand. 

She nodded to his greeting, her sweet face expressionless like a stone Aphrodite. His eyes darkened at her indifference, but he said nothing of it.

"You should call her Ginny," the young girl at her side piped up loudly. He looked down at her with cold eyes. She continued undaunted. "Really, everyone does. Except me."

He cracked a small smile. "And what do you call her?"

"Mama, mum, mother...what should I call you?"

"You may call me Papa, if you wish," he replied with a glance at Ginny. She had lost focus in the conversation and her eyes were on the workers as they carefully carried a gigantic, piano-shaped crate off the ship. His brow furrowed as he noticed her dark mourning garments. He had instructed her to wear her wedding dress off the ship, and she arrived in black, like a sacrificial offering. He turned back to the girl, deciding that he would deal with Ginny later, when she became his wife. "And what shall I call you?"

"Lissy," she said. "It's short for Elizabeth."

"Well, Lissy. Why don't you, your mother, and I go home?" 

The seamen had already moved their trunks up the path toward Flint Manor. Only the piano was left, looking large and out of place on the beach. The tide was growing higher, lunging closer and closer to her beloved instrument.

"Come on, Mama!" 

Ginny's fingers danced deftly in response to her daughter's plea. Marcus watched, fascinated with her silent language. 

"She says she won't go unless the piano comes with her," Lissy translated. 

The wind howled harder and thick raindrops began to fall. Ginny let go of her daughter's hand and ran to one of the men. She gestured for him to move her piano, her hands waving and cutting through the thick air. He shook his head gruffly, bowed his head, and returned to the ship. Waves were crashing against the piano crate now. She signed frantically to her daughter. 

"She says to move her piano," Lissy shouted, her small voice easily tangled in the wind. 

"Not today. It's raining too hard."

Strands of Ginny's flaming red hair had fallen loose of her tight bun and they blew wildly in the wind. She pulled out her wand and pointed desperately at the piano. "_Wingardium Leviosa_," she shouted, but her voice cowered at the back of her throat, held back by the imposed silence. 

Marcus and Lissy watched her, the latter with helplessness, and the former with a smirk. It was apparent that she could not cast spells without her voice. She ran to him, stumbling in the sand. She thrust her wand into his hands and signed to her daughter. 

"She tells you to cast a spell to bring it ashore!" Lissy pleaded. "She says please! She says the piano is her life. Without it she can't be happy!"

He threw her wand down angrily. "The piano will be carried tomorrow!" He grabbed Ginny's arms tightly and forced her face close to his. "Listen carefully. I am your life now, understand? You will be my wife and you will abide by my rules!" His harsh words assaulted her with the rain that poured down upon them. Ginny pushed him away with clenched fists and grabbed Lissy's hand. Glancing back at her piano once more, she picked up her wand and marched up the path toward Flint manor. All the sailors were back on the ship, sailing away quickly in the jagged waters. Ginny wished she could be one of them. 

**************

Her wedding night was nothing like she had expected. After hurriedly signing a few documents and a marriage license, they were declared man and wife and she was ushered in to his bedroom. It was an amalgam of ostentatious furniture, grim portraits and items that flashed luxury. Half the room was taken up was with a giant four-poster bed that she tried her best to ignore. With nothing to occupy herself with she stared at the clock, counting the seconds. By the time she had lost count several times over, her brown eyes fixed stonily upon the large wooden door that would soon admit her husband. 

A low voice broke her stare, "I see you've been waiting for me."

She turned and found Marcus leaned casually against the fireplace. 

"We have an internal Floo network," he said in way of explanation, crossing the room to her side. He stood behind her and caressed her shoulder, slipping under the dark material. Ginny continued to sit stiffly until his hand started to run lower. She cringed away and brushed away his touch with her pale, perfect fingers. 

He growled under his breath. "We're married now and it's time for you to fulfill your duty as a wife."

Ginny simply shook her head, backing away towards the door. Marcus stared at her, the hostility between them straining the air. He knocked the chair in front of him to the floor and began advancing upon his nervous wife. Shrinking away, her back hit the wall as his fist rose in the air. It neared her face but the blow never hit.

"I won't strike you on our wedding night, honey," he smirked. "But till I get what I want from you, your adored piano will remain on the beach."

He violently yanked open the door to the right of her, and motioned her out politely. "Sweet dreams, my dear."

**************

Since Marcus didn't seem concerned with her day's activities, the next morning Ginny decided to get out of the foreboding house and out to her beloved treasure. With Lissy happily skipping along the craggy way to the beach, she managed a small smile. Perhaps life would not be as awful as she thought. If Marcus left her alone during the day, she really only had to give in to his wishes in the bedroom and she could live a near normal life with Lissy. 

Dressed in pale pink corduroy overalls, the seven-year-old girl clambered quickly up the last slope on the way to the beach where her mother's piano lay. Ginny's steps quickened as well, fueled by the knowledge that she could lay her hands on the keys and feel a little at home. 

She pulled off her leather sandals, and ran barefoot to the crate by the sea, the sand caressing pleasantly between her toes. She signed for Lissy to come help her. Together, they pulled out the weak nails that held together the already broken box. When the glossy mahogany surface was alas revealed, she smiled in such a way that she almost felt laughter bubbling in her throat. 

"Oh, mum!" Lissy squealed. "Play something! Play that song I love!"

Without hesitation, Ginny pushed back the lid and pressed her fingers into the familiar keys. She felt melodies calling to her, and she dove into them, letting her hands flitter across the black and white blocks.  

Lissy danced across the sand, laughing with carefree glee as she twirled in endless circles. The bitter wind no longer battered the pair, but rather kissed them with ocean salt and fresh spring air. The piano was where home was.

******

The stinging rain had abated, though the clouds spoke of another imminent downpour for the evening. Draco Malfoy hurriedly grabbed his broom for his dusk ride along the coast. He kicked off from his balcony, rising quickly and following the rocky cliffs and beaches up the coast. Ever since he had moved to New Zealand, he had taken this same route. It wasn't the scenery that attracted him, though one could hardly complain of a breath-taking expanse of sand and ocean illuminated with the setting sun. No, it was the feeling of the wind running through his hair and robes, the joy of being completely alone and at peace. His eyes scanned the earth and stopped with a start at the coast outside Flint's manor. Was that a piano?

He swooped down lower and was amazed to find his initial assumption to be right. He jumped off his broom to the sand and examined the instrument. Despite the fact that it had been left out on the beach during the storm to be soaked by the oceans waves and rain, it was an excellent instrument. Draco stared at it, an idea forming in his mind. His new manor was missing a piano, and it was just like Flint to under-appreciate craftsman ship. He straddled his broom again, this time heading for Flints manor. 

********

Lissy was tucked safe and warm into her own room. Marcus had done it personally. Her new father made sure to spoil her with new dresses and toys, but she still did not call him Papa. Ginny knew her daughter awaited her approval. Though grateful for Marcus' kindness to Lissy, she refused his advances again that night. She was determined to make the marriage work, however reprobate its origin, but she wasn't ready to share his bed yet. So when he stood up and stormed violently to leave the room, she rushed after him and grabbed his hand. How could she make him understand?

He pushed her away angrily. "The thing I don't understand, Virginia, is why the hell you could spread your legs for her fucking father, but not for me."

Ginny froze, her temper rising past a point of control. She slapped him, her pale palm leaving a red mark across his cheek. He grabbed her wrist and threw her viciously on the bed. Fear began to crawl up her spine as he strode closer to her. 

He smiled sinisterly and shook his head. "Not tonight, Virginia. Tomorrow, you will be mine whether you like it or not. Either way, you can forget about seeing your precious piano ever again."

Ginny closed her eyes simply because she could not stand to see him anymore. She heard him turn out the lights and slam the door shut behind him. 

It was a sleepless night for all she could think about was her piano. She decided to ignore his bluff. She would see it tomorrow morning. Bright and early, she and Lissy would go and play in the sand like they did today. She gazed out her balcony window until sunrise, anticipating the time she could spend alone with her daughter. 

When at last they were on the path to the beach, Ginny felt her heart rising with unprecedented joy. She realized that these few hours would be her only happiness for years to come. 

Lissy skipped eagerly ahead, humming her favorite tune mindlessly on the cobblestone steps. She stopped at the end of the trail and gasped. "Mum!!" 

Ginny hurried behind her, lifting her long black skirt until she stood next to her daughter. There was nothing but sand between her and the ocean, a few old boards marking the place where her piano once stood.

************** 

End of Chapter One


	2. In Which Some Past Is Unveiled

**Lessons**

Chapter Two – In Which Some Past is Unveiled

************

Last chapter: There was nothing but sand between her and the ocean, a few old boards marking the place where her piano once stood.

Her heart's pace quickened in cold rage and sorrow. She spun around and stormed back to the manor. Lissy ran to keep up with her mother's hurried pace. 

"I won't call him father, mum! No matter how much he wants me to." 

Ginny stopped mid-step and dropped to her knees so her eyes met Lissy's perfectly. She hugged her daughter close and kissed her forehead. "_Go play in our new castle_," she signed. "_Perhaps the servants will indulge you with some sweets_."

Lissy looked from her mother's hands to her sad brown eyes. "No, I won't leave you. I won't call him papa. I won't call him _anything_. I won't even look at him."

Ginny smiled weakly and shook her head. "_He is your papa now. He is our life. I will have a talk with him tonight. Perhaps he shall bring the piano back. You understand you need to be on your best behavior, you understand that-_" 

"I understand, mama." The girl reached out and clasped her mother's moving hands in her own. "I just wish we could go back to Grandma's house."

Ginny nodded and Lissy knew they both wanted the same thing. 

"_Someday, my dear..._" Her hands paused as she trailed off. "_But for now, we will live in this castle with its servants, like princesses_."

Lissy giggled. "Like princesses."

Ginny left Lissy in the care of the muggle house staff. She questioned a maid on the whereabouts of her husband. Quick to aid her new mistress, the servant led her through the convoluted route to her husband's office, meandering through hallways filled with ancient weaponry and artwork. Though well lit with large picture windows and chandeliers, every turn gave Ginny a foreboding tug. She paused in front of his door, uncertain about whether or not she should confront him in her current state. Finally fury overcame caution and she twisted the doorknob and entered with out a knock. 

Marcus was sitting calmly behind his desk, and did not raise his head from his work to acknowledge her. 

"I knew you would be here soon enough." He could hear her labored breathing, and thoughts of the famous Weasley temper rose in his mind. Before he had time to think further however, Ginny stalked over to his desk and knocked astray his papers, dirtying them with ink and coffee. 

He looked up slowly in time to see her reach out and grab his lapels. He rose when she pulled him.

"I warned you of the consequences of your actions, Virginia. You will pay the price now. Your piano has been sold." 

Before her slap could hit his face he grabbed her hands and pulled her close. She narrowed her eyes and struggled against his grasp. He threw her to the ground easily and stood over her like a snake over a wounded bird. "Think of this as a lesson for the future."

She stood shakily and raised her chin, a storm brewing in her eyes. After a few moments she spun and walked out of his door, her steps echoing in the cold halls.

******** 

"How did your mother lose her voice, dear?"

Lissy was in the kitchen, munching on shortbread cookies laid out before her by the cook. The grey-haired woman reminded her of her Grandma Molly, and Lissy warmed up to her immediately. 

She pondered the question thoughtfully. "She stopped speaking when my father died."

"And who might that be?"

"He was her music teacher. She was his most prized student, the best opera-singer in the land. When he died, she was in so much grief that she vowed to never sing or speak again."

"Really, now. That's quite a tale," the cook replied with twinkling eyes. 

"That's the truth." Lissy made sure to give the woman one last innocent glance before slipping off her stool and skipping out the kitchen. "Thanks for the cookies."

"Any time Lissy."

Once out the kitchen, she decided to wander the daunting castle like her mother suggested. She was wearing one of her new dresses and indeed felt like a princess on the spiraling staircases and Persian carpets.

********

I am not my daughter's real mother. She was born when I was eleven-years-old to my brother Bill and his wife, Cecilia. I do not know if Lissy truly can't remember her birth-mother, or if she simply does not talk about it. The human mind can do powerful things to block out the unwanted. Lissy was nearly five years old when I adopted her. A frightful mess she was, trembling from surviving an ordeal her mother could not. The war had just started and Bill was off fighting the forces of Voldemort. Hogwarts closed and the Burrow was empty save for Lissy and me. Even my mum picked up her wand and set off to aid in the fight against the Dark Lord. 

It was my responsibility to look after the pale-haired child and I suppose that is how I became her mama. I still had my voice then and I sung her lullabies that soothed away her dark memories. I taught her to play the piano and I saw myself in her as I watched her pound the keys to scare away murky demons from the past. We were safe there, guarded by wards Dumbledore had put up himself.__
    
    ********

Draco Malfoy's dinner was interesting affair at Flint manor. The ministry had stationed him at New Zealand for the very purpose of spying on Marcus Flint, a death-eater rising quickly in the ranks. After sealing the piano sale, he was invited to dine with Marcus and the new Mrs. Flint. 

He had heard of the unfortunate wedding from various ministry and inner circle sources. Apparently, Marcus had agreed to spare Percy Weasley's life in exchange for her hand in marriage. Marcus and Percy were known rivals at Hogwarts and the animosity obviously still remained. Even Draco was surprised that Flint hated the Weasleys enough to bind himself to one of them in bitter matrimony. He suspected that Flint had married her because of her resemblance to his ex-girlfriend, and the pressing wishes of his mother that he married soon. 

The meal was served in the formal dining room with Mr. and Mrs. Flint seated at opposite ends of the ridiculously long redwood table. She did not know of Draco's double agent status and greeted him with nothing more than a pert nod. She communicated only with her daughter, a chatty girl that reminded Draco of the Ginny Weasley he had known so long ago. Sometimes Lissy would translate her mother's gestures for Marcus and Draco to understand. More often than not, it was only a request for salt or pepper. 

"Congratulations on your marriage," Draco said carefully as dessert was served. 

"Did you hear that, dear? Mr. Malfoy is kind enough to congratulate us."

Ginny ignored this and continued to concentrate on her plate. Marcus laid his fork down and repeated himself. "Did you hear what I said Virginia?"

She looked up with indifference and signed her words to him. 

"She says thank you Mr. Malfoy and also that she doesn't feel well. She would like to retire to the library and regrets missing coffee," Lissy elucidated carefully.

With a cold nod, Ginny then rose from the table and left. 

"Very well, Lissy, you may be excused as well. I have a surprise for you in your room and perhaps you would like to see it," Marcus said after Ginny had shut the double doors to the dining room. 

The girl simply shrugged and smiled. "Alright. I'll see you tomorrow Marcus. Good night, Mr. Malfoy." 

When she too had left, Draco leaned back into his chair and pushed his plate away. "You've got quite a lot on your hands here," he chuckled. 

"You have no idea. I barely have the energy to deal with those two with our Lord expecting me to unearth the spells he needs." Marcus ran a tired hand through his dark hair. "By following our fathers into the inner circle, our own lives are also sacrificed to the cause. I sometimes can't remember why."

"Power," Draco answered. "We do it for power."

"Of course," he said, drowning down his glass of wine. 

Draco left that night feeling genuinely sorry for both husband and wife. 

**********

It was late by the time Marcus entered her bedroom through the crackling fire. This time however, Ginny was ready and she stood as his head and shoulders entered her room. She lifted a paper that had been resting on her desk thrust it out at him.

He looked at her suspiciously and snatched it from her hand. "Our marriage will not be consummated until my 18th birthday," he read with clenched teeth. 

She tilted her chin proudly as if to dare him to challenge her, her eyes glinting dangerously in the firelight.

"Fine!" he snapped, crumpling the paper and tossing it into the flames. "You will have no excuses at that time and no objection with the company I shall keep!"

Ginny's lips pursed tightly and her hands twitched to retort. Instead, she nodded politely and motioned to the door for him to leave. His angry eyes looked her up and down as he strode by her. Without warning he grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her to him. 

She felt her voice rising in the back of her throat in protest, but as usual, no sound came out. Marcus' lips mashed against hers painfully and she could do little to protest. Her hands pushed at his shoulders and later at his arms as they encircled her. His crooked teeth bit and sucked at her lower lip until she opened her mouth for his tongue. She shook her head and backed away, trying to break free of his embrace. They broke apart when she fell back on to the bed. He immediately pushed himself on top of her, but he did not kiss her again.**__**

****

"Until your birthday arrives, Ginny. You can't fight me then."

She exhaled when she felt his weight ease of her and stared numbly as he left through the floo with a resounding crack. Lifting a cold hand to her bruising lips, she blinked away rising tears. She had less then a month before that night. 

**********

I don't know what I expected to find in this marriage with the Virginia. I barely noticed her at Hogwarts. She was after all just another Weasley with another batch of freckles and mop of red hair. Then again, I barely noticed anyone my last two years at school – that is anyone but Katie Bell. She was everything that I wasn't: sweet, brave, and Gryffindor. We were each other's dark secrets: I her guilty pleasure and her, my reluctant angel. We shared clandestine kisses and warm nights in every nook and cranny Hogwarts had to offer. It took me a long time to realize how much I needed her and by the time I did, it was too late. She was Katie Wood by then and I was already initiated into Voldemort's inner circle. In the end, she was still a Gryffindor and I a Slytherin. 

The war's end is not far now and it looks bleak for my lord's side. I sold Ginny's piano because I knew that it would hurt her, the same way Katie hurt me when she sent me the wedding invitation. The Woods are dead now and perhaps I will be soon. Either way, Lissy and her mother will be free of me before long and until then, I will be sure to enjoy Percy Weasley's little sister as my reluctant angel.   
  
  
  


**********

Time passed slowly, yet the days flew by for Ginny and Lissy. The latter adapted quickly, as all children do, to Flint manor and its luxurious lifestyle. She had servants to play with her, to teach her, and her mother's piano soon disappeared from a concerns. Ginny was glad to see her happy, but could not find her own in their new life. Marcus spoiled Lissy, filling her room with every item she asked for, though he barely gave a second glance to his wife. Then again, who would to a mute? 

Ginny tumbled deeper into depression with each sunrise and sunset, without a soul to speak to besides children's chatter with her daughter. Her heart ached for her family and her fingers and soul itched for her piano. She knew Marcus had sold it to Draco, a rich bastard that couldn't even play. Malfoy had told her himself one afternoon on his daily flying trip when he swooped down to have a chat with the new Mrs. Flint as she strolled along the beach. In fact, it would be on another one of these afternoon meetings that he would make a proposal that would change her life forever. 

Lissy was working on her lessons with Aunt Marcy, the Flint's motherly cook. With nothing to do, Ginny grabbed her bonnet and set out for the inviting beach. She often stared across the horizon and wondered if anyone had the stamina to swim through the ocean home, or the guts to die trying. In a rare moment of relaxation, she lay down in the sand and gazed into the endless blue sky. The sun shone brightly, blessing her with lazy comfort and warmth, her eyes closed and she almost forgot where she was. As she lost focus, she drifted to her past. She was laying on the Great Lawn on the last days of term, snuggled in the arms of Harry as he tugged playfully on her auburn curls. 

But there was no hand by her or arm around her waist, but rather an unwelcome shadow above her. She was no longer in England, but under the New Zealand sky back in bleak reality.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Flint."

Ginny's eyes snapped open and she sat up abruptly, startled to find Draco Malfoy starring down at her.

"I was about to suggest that you go indoors, unless you wanted even more freckles." He reached down and held out a hand to help her up. Grudgingly, she took it. 

"Would you like to join me for tea, Mrs. Flint?"

She glared at him, dusting sand of her pale green sundress as she did so. He took her hand and held out his broom. 

"I insist. I have a proposition for you."

His touch was strangely cool in the warm weather. She pulled her hand back and turned to walk away. 

"There is a way for you to have your piano back."

She stopped abruptly and turned to look at him quizzically. 

"For a price. I'll explain over tea."

He held out his hand again, and she took it without hesitation.

********

End of Chapter Two

**MEMEMEMEMEME** - it's nice to know we're good for skimming. ^^ *** **allie** – yay! we updated early (well early for us) this time! Lol thx for reading *** **jess –** don't watch the piano till the fic's over. It's a great movie!…kinda scarring, but still great! *** **Kai** – lol…hope some of ur questions were answered! And hope we did good on those finals _ *** **lady of scarlet darkness **– hehe…so we had that chat about renting the movie…^_~ I'm not a fan stalker _ _ *** **viy** – all the clues really piece together huh? It IS kinda strange as far as love triangles go…but meh..hehe *** **Elizabeth** – hi lissy's namesake! Lol…glad u could make it back for the second chapter. This one's dedicated to you! *** **Arella Hallo **– we've simply updated! Lol….so ur questions was answered in this chapter…any new questions? Review! ^_^ *** **Sirenna** – can't wait for the skammish party…and draco factors in…NEXT CHAPTER! Dun dun dun! 

Next chapter: the story finally kicks off ground. 


	3. In Which There is a Proposal

Lessons

Chapter Three – In Which He Proposalses

Draco's beachside flat was spacious - with far too much room for a lonely bachelor. Ginny followed him into the parlor, her eyes traveling over the antique furniture and the soft oriental rugs. There were dour paintings on the walls, framed in heavy gold-dusted wood and hung above vases of orchids and ferns. The balcony door was open, allowing light and salty ocean air to generously pour in. It was entirely removed from Malfoy Manor, yet it resonated the same sense of elite luxury.

He motioned for her to sit at small Victorian breakfast table already laid with shortbread cookies and chrysanthemum tea. Ginny sat and took the china cup he offered her, taking a small sip before setting it down. Her piano was nowhere in sight. She bit her lip, waiting for him to mention his aforementioned proposition. Draco, on the other hand seemed content to observe her and wore a small smirk that reminded her of the pointy-chinned boy from Hogwarts.

They sat in silence until he finished his tea, after which he rose and led her through large double doors to what appeared to be the sitting room. Once he stepped back to give her an unhindered view, her breath froze and her heart clenched. There was her piano, set in an empty corner, newly polished and finished.

"I had it tuned," he said, but she barely heard him.

He walked over to it and ran his fingers across the keys, creating an awkward jumble of notes. Ginny's gaze shifted to him, waiting for permission to touch her beloved instrument.

With a cocky grin, he moved aside. She stepped forward slowly, not wanting to seem desperate, but finding it hard to conceal her excitement. She sat on the dark wooden bench, and lifted her hands to the keys. B minor, C sharp major, sonatas, etudes, dolce, legato – it was her soul. It was her turn to speak and she closed her eyes and played.

She lost herself in the notes and found herself back at the burrow, back in the days before the war. Harry, Hermione and Ron were out in the yard tossing garden gnomes and laughing over a forgotten joke. Somewhere upstairs, explosions sounded off from Fred and George's room while Percy worked away in his room. In the midst of all the chaos, Ginny's music brought the family together in quiet conversation after dinner. The past was the present and for a few melodies, everything was forgotten. Marcus Flint was only another student from Hogwarts and Lissy was merely Bill and Cecilia's baby girl.

It wasn't until Draco Malfoy cleared his throat that she remembered that she was in his sitting room, playing a piano that was no longer hers. He lay recumbent on a loveseat, watching her as if appraising her skill.

"Adequate, Weasley."

He had to hold back a smirk when her eyes narrowed in annoyance. She was beautiful when she played, as if the sonority of the music embellished the green specks in her eyes or sleeked the golden streaks in her auburn hair. She was beautiful and he was enchanted, secretly hoping that Marcus never saw his bride glowing like she was now.

"You're probably wondering for what proposition I had in store for you?"

She continued to hold him with her steady gaze and Draco felt vaguely unsettled by this conversation with himself, as if he were talking to a wall.

"I never had the opportunity to the learn an instrument and happening upon you and your piano seemed to be the perfect time to start."

Draco rose and opened a tiny drawer on the side of the coffee table, pulling out a sheet of parchment and quill. She grabbed the quill nimbly and words appeared quickly on the sheet.

"In return for my piano, I will give you as many lessons as there are keys on this piano."

He almost smiled, that was plenty of time to figure where her loyalties lay and if she would be willing to aid him in spying on her husband. She smiled slightly and held out her pale hand, which he shook gravely. Her hands were soft and now that he was close to her, he could smell a faint fragrance of roses and blueberries.

Ginny returned home feeling lighter and more hopeful than she had in weeks. As despicable as Malfoy's company was, it would release her from the tension and monotony of Marcus' household. The best part was that she had contact with her piano and knew that it was in good hands. Of course the lessons must remain a secret from her husband, which wouldn't be hard since he had no interest in her day.

In fact, it seemed he would pay her no heed since she refused to sleep with him. She was virtually ignored at dinner by both Marcus and Lissy as they chatted animatedly over one inane matter or another. Ginny felt a tinge of jealousy as she watched her daughter's affection for him grow. Marcus spoiled her with anything and everything she wanted and who was Ginny to object? So she watched helplessly as Lissy grew accustomed to their new home, finding carefree happiness capable of only a child in the ostentatious mansion. Ginny had no power in the household and even the servants paid little attention to the mistress of the manor.

They gossiped about her behind her back and Lissy did little to ameliorate the situation with her endless tales of how Ginny lost her voice, about Ginny's fictional ex-husband, about lies...

The day of the first lesson arrived, stormy and turbulent. She awoke to the pounding of rain on the French doors leading to the balcony. She dressed quickly and carelessly after her morning bath, tugging a pine-green turtleneck on above a woolen knee-length skirt. As lightening flashed like gold bars in cotton across the grey skies, she wondered how he planned on transporting her to his mansion. It was not a day to ride double on his broomstick. Miserably, she pulled on her coat and stepped into the rain, tying her tangled wet curls into a messy ponytail. She followed the path to the beach and tread across the soaking sand to where she had first run in to Malfoy. The spot was disturbingly close to the roaring ocean with raging waves lashing angrily against the beach.

She clutched the neck of her hood and shivered beneath the unforgiving army of raindrops. Finally, she heard what seemed to be the whining of horses above her and a carriage descending from the dark, grey clouds. Malfoy's blonde hair and hand quickly appeared through the carriage door.

"Get in!" He shouted over the noise of the storm.

Clutching his hand, Ginny stepped into the compartment, yanking the door shut behind her. Draco leaned back into the plush dark cushions, his blonde hair and fair skin stark against his surroundings. The Vestals soared them into the sky in a twisted parody of Santa's sleigh. She felt strange in the warm carriage, as if she ruined its pristine comfort with her goosebumps and soaked clothes.

He dried her off with a spell and offered her a cup of tea. She took it, gratefully wrapping her frigid fingers around the hot cup. His eyes were on her, cool with some unseen emotion - disdain? Pity? She looked away.

"Have you had breakfast, Mrs. Flint?"

She shook her head.

"Good, neither have I. First will be scones and hot chocolate. Do I have your permission?"

As if you need my permission, she thought but gave her approval with a nod.

"We should have a form of communication between us, Weasley."

She shrugged and sipped the tea, as if to say she had little want of conversing with him anyway.

They arrived at the apartment and Draco lead her into the sitting room once more. Set with breakfast, the coffee table was set with yet another elegant tea set and steaming scones. Silent as always, she sat down when he did and ate when he ate. He watched her and she felt self-conscious under his unnerving gaze.

I was a rotten child. I sneered at those less fortunate than I - the poor, the mudbloods, the unattractive. Yet I sometimes wondered if all my money, my pure blood, and good looks really made me more fortunate than them. I was, after all, raised to be a rotten child.

I was disciplined the way my father was disciplined and my grandfather before that - to hold the Malfoy name above everything else because it WAS above everything else. I suppose it was this very doctrine that led me away from joining the Dark Lord's cause. My intelligence couldn't help but see flaws in his actions and at the root of it all, he was merely a half-blood lunatic and I was a Malfoy.

And she was a Weasley. By my sixth year, she was the belle of Hogwarts. She could have anyone, a seventh year Ravenclaw, a sixth year Hufflepuff pursued by every girl in his house, even the great Harry Potter. But never me.

I played the very part my father intended me to - the snobby brat who terrorized those against Voldemort's inner circle. My father's bigotry didn't make me blind to the world around me - if nothing else I was an intelligent teenager, and I could grudgingly see the competency of the Mudbloods around me. Though I was unready to accept them as my own equal, I knew that they were more worthy than Crabbe and Goyle.

My father died not long after I secretly joined the Order unbeknownst to my betrayal. He left this world believing I was still the boy he molded. As far as any of the Death Eaters' are concerned, I still am. My mother committed suicide shortly after my father's death. I suppose even the black-hearted can love, or something like it, but nothing is ever black or white.

Working with the order was a surreal experience. People that were the epitome of everything I hated were now the people I depended on most to keep my dangerous secret. Every Death Eater meeting, every summon from the Dark Lord left me in a panic. Everywhere I went I felt as if someone was watching me, Death Eater or perhaps even one of the Order. I knew I had to get away from the epicenter of it all and I did both the Order and the Dark Forces a favor by leaving England.

I still was of some service, but then again I never wanted my life on the line in order to defeat the Dark Lord. I simply no longer wanted to serve him or his brainless followers. But I wasn't Harry fucking Potter.

End of Chapter Three


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